Kobe Bryant tributes poured in yesterday from the moment the news of his death in a tragic helicopter accident was reported. Players opened games Sunday with eight- and 24-second violations in Bryant's honor, as those were the numbers that he wore when playing in the NBA. Not every team played on Sunday, though, so several teams are playing on Monday for the first time since Bryant's death.
The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers were the first two teams to take the floor on Monday, and the Pistons delivered the first major tribute to Bryant. When they took off their warmup gear for pre-game introductions, the Pistons were wearing custom black uniforms. On the back, each featured either No. 8 or No. 24 and the name Bryant.
Bryant played against the Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals and was very nearly traded to Detroit in 2007 after asking the Lakers to move him. He had a no-trade clause at the time, though, and ultimately decided against leaving Los Angeles for the Pistons.
Like many other games, Monday's Pistons-Cavs battle kicked things off with two violations. The Cavs won the opening tip and ran the shot clock down 24 seconds to zero. The Pistons responded by spending eight seconds behind the half-court line to give the ball back. The game proceeded as scheduled from there.
The Miami Heat and Orlando Magic were next to tip-off half an hour later. Like the Pistons and Cavaliers, they opened the game with violations in Bryant's honor. The Heat also aired a touching tribute video to Bryant before the game started, which they followed with 24.8 seconds of silence.
The Minnesota Timberwolves tinkered with the eight-second tribute that other teams had given. Rather than simply holding the ball behind half-court for eight seconds, they placed the ball on the free-throw line until that time had expired.
A number of Bryant's greatest NBA moments came at the free-throw line. It is where he passed his idol, Michael Jordan, on the all-time scoring list. He also famously shot and made two free throws after tearing his Achilles tendon in a 2013 game against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers won that game by two, 118-116.
More tributes will pour in throughout the night as more and more teams begin their games.
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January 27, 2020 at 06:08PM
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Kobe Bryant tributes: Pistons wear custom No. 8, No. 24 jerseys, Timberwolves leave basketball at foul line - CBS Sports
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